A typical multi-service operator (MSO) plant, such as a 750 MHz hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) plant, supports around 115 channels. Different services compete for those 115 channels including broadcast and narrowcast services. Broadcast services include analog broadcast and digital broadcast of video content, such as video broadcast for television channels. Narrowcast services include switched digital video, video-on-demand, high speed data, voice, and MSO-managed IP video services.
Typically, a head-end radio frequency (RF) transmitter services a single service group. A service group may be a group of subscribers that share a common set of channels on a single RF transmitter. For example, a first head-end RF transmitter may service a first service group #1 and a second head-end RF transmitter may service a second service group #2. A single HFC distribution system may be created for a single downstream optical wavelength on a single fiber feeding a single fiber node. The fiber node converts the optical signal into an electrical signal on a set of coaxial distribution paths that are fed into multiple homes that make up the subscriber group. Each of the homes therefore receives and shares that bandwidth for those signals. For example, if the signals transport five gigabits per second (Gbps) of bandwidth and there are 500 subscribers (e.g., homes) sharing the bandwidth, then each subscriber has access to an average of 5 Gbps/(500 subscribers)=10 Mbps.
The MSO typically sizes the service groups to ensure there is adequate bandwidth per subscriber during the busier hours of the day when most subscribers are using their highest traffic rates, which may be around 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. (e.g., the busy hour). Due to this, most likely there is extra or unused bandwidth capacity that is not being used during other portions of the day. For example, there may be very light traffic load between around midnight to 8:00 a.m., or for one-third of the day. Thus, the traffic on the distribution systems for the service groups is thus much lower than the bandwidth capacity that is reserved for the busy hour. Because the MSO would like to provide enough bandwidth for the busy hour, the MSO keeps the service groups at the size such that the distribution system can adequately service each service group during the busy hour. This, however, creates a large amount of time when the distribution systems are not being used efficiently.